diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.lock.yml
index d9eb09803c4..3b168eac3ca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.lock.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v4","frontmatter_hash":"440e62fcbe7c0e97ccaedf33df1422087eed6429f147251837df655a009686ac","body_hash":"88e995dfe2a59cb4b883edad0e0888f185d4ec71877cbe1622db922c1a4a2e32","strict":true,"agent_id":"copilot","engine_versions":{"copilot":"1.0.59"}}
+# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v4","frontmatter_hash":"c32fee4a7f2f8ab67e3663b90ef227ae262381a420a5b190d1c0d4dce79a6c8d","body_hash":"adc3da72961d5c1e6f411723187cdaa44bd30c5f6407026448b47b73449d1688","strict":true,"agent_id":"copilot","engine_versions":{"copilot":"1.0.59"}}
 # gh-aw-manifest: {"version":1,"secrets":["COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN","GH_AW_CI_TRIGGER_TOKEN","GH_AW_GITHUB_MCP_SERVER_TOKEN","GH_AW_GITHUB_TOKEN","GH_AW_OTEL_GRAFANA_AUTHORIZATION","GH_AW_OTEL_GRAFANA_ENDPOINT","GH_AW_OTEL_SENTRY_AUTHORIZATION","GH_AW_OTEL_SENTRY_ENDPOINT","GITHUB_TOKEN"],"actions":[{"repo":"actions/checkout","sha":"de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd","version":"v6.0.2"},{"repo":"actions/download-artifact","sha":"3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c","version":"v8.0.1"},{"repo":"actions/github-script","sha":"3a2844b7e9c422d3c10d287c895573f7108da1b3","version":"v9.0.0"},{"repo":"actions/setup-java","sha":"be666c2fcd27ec809703dec50e508c2fdc7f6654","version":"v5.2.0"},{"repo":"actions/setup-node","sha":"48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e","version":"v6.4.0"},{"repo":"actions/upload-artifact","sha":"043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a","version":"v7.0.1"}],"containers":[{"image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-firewall/agent:0.25.65"},{"image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-firewall/api-proxy:0.25.65"},{"image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-firewall/cli-proxy:0.25.65"},{"image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-firewall/squid:0.25.65"},{"image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-mcpg:v0.3.23","digest":"sha256:0dd1bd91a41e24a3ccc31b1ec6cb61d36608997fabf91f2d643b64e3fc33180a","pinned_image":"ghcr.io/github/gh-aw-mcpg:v0.3.23@sha256:0dd1bd91a41e24a3ccc31b1ec6cb61d36608997fabf91f2d643b64e3fc33180a"},{"image":"ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:v1.1.2","digest":"sha256:30197479d8036c7811892bc07e06f9a05c9ef3cdd79bc59f256d50647f95788c","pinned_image":"ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:v1.1.2@sha256:30197479d8036c7811892bc07e06f9a05c9ef3cdd79bc59f256d50647f95788c"},{"image":"node:lts-alpine","digest":"sha256:2bdb65ed1dab192432bc31c95f94155ca5ad7fc1392fb7eb7526ab682fa5bf14","pinned_image":"node:lts-alpine@sha256:2bdb65ed1dab192432bc31c95f94155ca5ad7fc1392fb7eb7526ab682fa5bf14"}]}
 #    ___                   _   _      
 #   / _ \                 | | (_)     
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "$YESTERDAY" > /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/yesterday.txt
 
           git log --since='24 hours ago' --no-merges --pretty=format:'%H%x09%s' \
-            | jq -R 'select(length > 0) | split("\t"; 2) | {sha: .[0], subject: (.[1] // "")}' \
+            | jq -R 'select(length > 0) | split("\t") | {sha: .[0], subject: (.[1] // "")}' \
             > /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-commits.jsonl || true
 
           git log --since='24 hours ago' --name-only --pretty=format:'' --no-merges \
@@ -904,6 +904,7 @@ jobs:
         # --allow-tool shell(go build ./...)
         # --allow-tool shell(grep)
         # --allow-tool shell(head)
+        # --allow-tool shell(jq)
         # --allow-tool shell(ls /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier)
         # --allow-tool shell(ls)
         # --allow-tool shell(make build)
@@ -950,7 +951,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
           # shellcheck disable=SC1003
           sudo -E awf --config "${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/awf-config.json" --container-workdir "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}" --mount "${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw:${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw:ro" --mount "${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw:/host${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw:ro" ${GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE_MOUNT:+--mount "$GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE_MOUNT"} ${GH_AW_DOCKER_HOST_PATH_PREFIX_ARGS} --env-all --exclude-env COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN --exclude-env GH_TOKEN --exclude-env GITHUB_MCP_SERVER_TOKEN --exclude-env MCP_GATEWAY_API_KEY --log-level info --proxy-logs-dir /tmp/gh-aw/sandbox/firewall/logs --audit-dir /tmp/gh-aw/sandbox/firewall/audit --enable-host-access --allow-host-ports 80,443,8080 --skip-pull --difc-proxy-host host.docker.internal:18443 --difc-proxy-ca-cert /tmp/gh-aw/difc-proxy-tls/ca.crt \
-            -- /bin/bash -c 'set +o histexpand; export PATH="${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/mcp-cli/bin:$PATH" && GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE="${RUNNER_TOOL_CACHE:-/opt/hostedtoolcache}"; export PATH="$(find "$GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE" /opt/hostedtoolcache /home/runner/work/_tool -maxdepth 5 -type d -name bin 2>/dev/null | tr '\''\n'\'' '\'':'\'')$PATH"; [ -n "$GOROOT" ] && export PATH="$GOROOT/bin:$PATH" || true && GH_AW_NODE_EXEC="${GH_AW_NODE_BIN:-}"; if [ -z "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ] || [ ! -x "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ]; then GH_AW_NODE_EXEC="$(command -v node 2>/dev/null || true)"; fi; if [ -z "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ]; then echo "node runtime missing on this runner — check runtimes.node in workflow YAML" >&2; exit 127; fi; GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT="$(npm root -g 2>/dev/null || true)"; if [ -n "$GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT" ]; then export NODE_PATH="${GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT}${NODE_PATH:+:${NODE_PATH}}"; fi; "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/actions/copilot_harness.cjs /usr/local/bin/copilot --add-dir /tmp/gh-aw/ --log-level all --log-dir /tmp/gh-aw/sandbox/agent/logs/ --disable-builtin-mcps --no-ask-user --allow-tool github --allow-tool safeoutputs --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/history-summary.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-commits.jsonl)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-context.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-prs.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/source-files.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(date)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(echo)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(gh:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git add:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git branch:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git checkout:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git commit:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git merge:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git rm:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git status)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git switch:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(go build ./...)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(grep)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(head)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(ls /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(ls)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make build)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make fmt)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make lint)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make test-unit)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(printf)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(pwd)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(safeoutputs:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(sort)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(tail)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(uniq)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(wc)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(yq)'\'' --allow-tool write --allow-all-paths --add-dir "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}" --prompt-file /tmp/gh-aw/aw-prompts/prompt.txt' 2>&1 | tee -a /tmp/gh-aw/agent-stdio.log
+            -- /bin/bash -c 'set +o histexpand; export PATH="${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/mcp-cli/bin:$PATH" && GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE="${RUNNER_TOOL_CACHE:-/opt/hostedtoolcache}"; export PATH="$(find "$GH_AW_TOOL_CACHE" /opt/hostedtoolcache /home/runner/work/_tool -maxdepth 5 -type d -name bin 2>/dev/null | tr '\''\n'\'' '\'':'\'')$PATH"; [ -n "$GOROOT" ] && export PATH="$GOROOT/bin:$PATH" || true && GH_AW_NODE_EXEC="${GH_AW_NODE_BIN:-}"; if [ -z "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ] || [ ! -x "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ]; then GH_AW_NODE_EXEC="$(command -v node 2>/dev/null || true)"; fi; if [ -z "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ]; then echo "node runtime missing on this runner — check runtimes.node in workflow YAML" >&2; exit 127; fi; GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT="$(npm root -g 2>/dev/null || true)"; if [ -n "$GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT" ]; then export NODE_PATH="${GH_AW_NPM_GLOBAL_ROOT}${NODE_PATH:+:${NODE_PATH}}"; fi; "$GH_AW_NODE_EXEC" ${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/actions/copilot_harness.cjs /usr/local/bin/copilot --add-dir /tmp/gh-aw/ --log-level all --log-dir /tmp/gh-aw/sandbox/agent/logs/ --disable-builtin-mcps --no-ask-user --allow-tool github --allow-tool safeoutputs --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/history-summary.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-commits.jsonl)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-context.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-prs.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/source-files.json)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(cat)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(date)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(echo)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(gh:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git add:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git branch:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git checkout:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git commit:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git merge:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git rm:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git status)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(git switch:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(go build ./...)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(grep)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(head)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(jq)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(ls /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(ls)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make build)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make fmt)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make lint)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(make test-unit)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(printf)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(pwd)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(safeoutputs:*)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(sort)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(tail)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(uniq)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(wc)'\'' --allow-tool '\''shell(yq)'\'' --allow-tool write --allow-all-paths --add-dir "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}" --prompt-file /tmp/gh-aw/aw-prompts/prompt.txt' 2>&1 | tee -a /tmp/gh-aw/agent-stdio.log
         env:
           AWF_REFLECT_ENABLED: 1
           COPILOT_AGENT_RUNNER_TYPE: STANDALONE
diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.md b/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.md
index 31e98ab873f..2304ff0af63 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.md
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-simplifier.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ tools:
     - "cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-commits.jsonl"
     - "cat /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/history-summary.json"
     - "ls /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier"
+    - "jq *"
     - "make test-unit"
     - "make lint"
     - "make build"
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ steps:
       echo "$YESTERDAY" > /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/yesterday.txt
 
       git log --since='24 hours ago' --no-merges --pretty=format:'%H%x09%s' \
-        | jq -R 'select(length > 0) | split("\t"; 2) | {sha: .[0], subject: (.[1] // "")}' \
+        | jq -R 'select(length > 0) | split("\t") | {sha: .[0], subject: (.[1] // "")}' \
         > /tmp/gh-aw/code-simplifier/recent-commits.jsonl || true
 
       git log --since='24 hours ago' --name-only --pretty=format:'' --no-merges \
@@ -161,9 +162,11 @@ Do **not** re-fetch these datasets with GitHub tools unless a required file is m
 
 ## Command Guardrails (Required)
 
+- Do **NOT** use `python3` for JSON parsing; use `jq`, `cat`, or `head` instead.
 - Do **NOT** repeatedly retry variations of the same blocked command.
 - If a command fails due to permission/policy, stop that approach immediately and use `report_incomplete` with the blocked command and error.
 - If you hit repeated permission-denied errors for the same action, short-circuit instead of continuing retries.
+- If you encounter 3 or more consecutive `Permission denied` errors for the same type of command, stop immediately and call `report_incomplete`.
 
 ## Phase 1 — Determine Scope